Just when you thought that it was too late for our five Funding Award finalists to reshuffle, that Doc/Fest is less than two weeks away and we couldn’t possibly change a thing…we’ve gone and done it, haven’t we?
We’re losing one of our finalists, but for a fabulous reason. The team behind Ma Liang’s Time Machine have managed to secure alternative funding and will no longer be joining us for our pitch at this year’s Sheffield Doc/Fest.
We’d like to say a huge congratulations and good luck to Yang Sun, S. Leo Chiang and the rest of the team at Walking Iris Media. Ma Liang’s Time Machine promises to be an important and deeply moving documentary that we can’t wait to see brought to life.
So who will take their place at this year’s pitch?
The judges have reconvened to select a new film idea to make it in to our shortlist of five and we’re thrilled to introduce Silent Men, a documentary idea from Edinburgh filmmaker Duncan Cowles. A frank and at times humorous look at masculinity and its role in society, Silent Men will investigate the cultural norms and social conditioning that render suicide the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK and that make men three times more likely than women to become alcohol dependent.
“As I age I feel myself shutting down emotionally and finding it harder to express myself to those I love.”
Image courtesy of Duncan Cowles
Shot entirely in the UK, the filmmaker will travel across the country interviewing men young and old in an attempt to get to heart of why some men, including the filmmaker himself, find it so difficult to open up to their friends, to hug or their family members or to simply say “I Love You.”
On the news, Funding Award judge Mak CK said “I’m excited that we are helping to give Silent Men a voice.”
Being called up to the plate at such short notice, our BAFTA Scotland-winning finalist is faced with a real challenge. On being called up to the plate, Duncan said absolutely nothing (just kidding). He said “I’m absolutely honoured and extremely excited to be selected for the Whicker’s World Foundation pitch at Sheffield. Silent Men is a film I’m very close to on a personal level, but that also has such huge importance on a wider scale to the whole of society. It’s my first feature length documentary, and I’m so grateful to Whicker’s for the opportunity and for the support.”
Congratulations to Duncan and we look forward to seeing some of you at Sheffield next month. The Whicker’s World Foundation pitch will take place from 11am-12.30pm on Sunday 11th June at Reception Room A of Sheffield Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield, S1 2HH. This session is open to Doc/Fest festival pass holders only, be sure to turn up 15 minutes before the start to ensure a seat in the pitching session.
For more information on the pitch and other Whicker’s World Foundation events at Sheffield keep your eyes pealed for our Whats On in Docs post coming out later in the week.
